Golden Paws

I'd be wary of using either. Several years ago my mate had his garage done over despite having a decent alarm. He had sold some stuff on Facebook and on reflection he was pretty sure one bloke who he had invited into his garage to view the stuff had noted what was there and came back to ransack it. He reckons he lost about £8,000 worth of kit. A neighbours (poor quality!) camera picked up a van turning up, the alarm being smashed and they were in and out pretty quick and took the lot. Luckily his Insurance Company was really good and he managed to replace most of it but the thought of losing all your gear in one hit is a right kick in the nuts and he was in tears when he told me his tale. The morale of the story is don't bring attention to outsiders of exactly what you've got, you don't know who you are inviting round.

A thought for anyone with a bait boat. With the current temperatures below zero, snow on the ground and all my local lakes shut due to being frozen, bring the battery and handset inside the house - mine lives in my shed attached to the garage. Batteries hate being cold, especially for prolonged periods and they can completely discharge in these conditions and it can render them near useless. Bring them inside and fully charge them and they should be OK. Also going to disconnect the battery from my electric bike and bring it inside and charge it up, I won't be riding it anytime soon until the weather significantly changes. Some people also keep camera's in their fishing bags and the cold apart from killing the batteries they also may suffer from internal condensation. I keep my fragile stuff like the camera, spare batteries, binocular's and power pack in a separate small bag and always bring it in the house after a trip.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-63880157 Sorry it's another external link Nick but this is another example of dangerous practice and being recommended for use in bivvy's. I hope Nash Tackle take notice.

Most gas bottles are used for making a brew or cooking a dinner outside. Only a fairly small percentage end up being connected to a heater so I don't think it would make a big difference. Unfortunately if there's money to be made, some tackle companies will chase one it. One lot are selling tea lights and a glorified upside down ceramic plant pot. I'm sure you could buy something similar from a hardware store for heating greenhouses and a lot less than the £35 they want to rustle you! (The Carp Tax is compulsory.) A large tackle store that sells direct is flogging them. They are partly responsible for the increase in their use and ultimately the deaths that they cause. Companies hate bad publicity and if people shunned them due to their money grabbing ways, they would think twice.

Most bottled gas is a mixture of Propane (C3H8) and Butane (C4H10). Butane is longer chain alkane and boils at a higher temperature and gives out more output due to the fact that there are more Carbon to Carbon bonds. It doesn't matter what percentage you add to a bottle as the end result is the same, you burn a hydrocarbon in air (the Oxygen part) and it produces Carbon Dioxide and water and a percentage of Carbon Monoxide which is dependent on how efficient the burn is. A bluer flame is best as it gives a more complete burn and hence lower Carbon Monoxide whereas a yellow flame gives a lower heat output and a higher concentration of Carbon Monoxide. It probably wouldn't have mattered if the poor bloke had used a USA cylinder, the result would almost certainly have been the same.

Sorry but I disagree. There is no such thing as safe burning in an enclosed area. Not too sure what regulations you mean and don't think his family will be able to sue anyone. I don't really like banning things because it smacks of the nanny state and it's pretty easy to build your own heater without too much trouble. I would like to think that any responsible manufacteur or tackle dealers would voluntarily not make or sell items that have the potential to cause death.

Cheers for that Nick. Wouldn't normally promote external links but thought that this one was too important not to highlight.

http://www.carpforum.co.uk/Shared/Messages.asp?TopicID=436401 Found this today on another Carp Forum today and thought I'd bump it up again. With day time temperatures peaking around 5 Celsius and the predicted Northern Blast/Beast From the East forecast for the coming week, it's going to get a lot colder. Don't be tempted, it's not worth the risk. Even some of the tea light style heaters that one big tackle manufacteur is peddling are dangerous. Wax is a hydrocarbon and when you burn it, it produces Carbon Dioxide and water and a percentage of Carbon Monoxide. If fact, the more yellow the flame, the higher percentage of CO is produced. It might be alright in a greenhouse but not in an occupied zipped up bivvy!

I can see your point but with a decent head torch and towel to dry yours hands, it's not too much of a faff. I did try the loop to loop method but the way the mono gripped the leader just didn't look right to me and I soon ditched it as I didn't have full confidence in it. Once that happens, your mind plays tricks and you are almost expecting it to fail.

It only takes about 2 minutes to make up a new bag so I don't bother making up fresh ones. Reel in, wrap around the sticks and clip up, dry the lead and rig with a towel, place rig in bag, add bag mix, lead in bag, final top up, lick and stick, cast out. Leaving PVA exposed to air weakens them as the moisture in the air gets to them, although keeping them buried in pellets or groundbait will extend that time but why take the risk?

Lead Core is banned on my local waters and so I've never used, even when fishing other waters. I use the Korda Safezone leaders, the lead clip version for using normal leads or the swivel end version if using in-lines in a PVA bag. The stuff is pretty invisible, thick and tough and shouldn't lift any scales off the carp. I did start off using tubing when I first started but it just seemed too obvious to me. If the line snaps above the leader, there is potential for problems whatever you use. Even if you have 20 foot of normal mono, the problem would still be there.

A topic that you can easily go round in circles and you end up confusing yourself! I started off Carp fishing using Mainline's Cell and caught from the off but it was pricier than other shelf lives. Went over to CC Moore and used both the Live System and Pacific Tuna and would happily use it again. My mate I go with seems to catch on Sticky's Krill. Recently I started using Baitworks Creamino after watching some of the video's on You Tube. (Yes I know, an advertisers dream!) I've only used it a couple of times so still early days yet. If you have a couple of local makers and can collect and chat to the owners, that would probably be a good route to go down. Also it would cut down on postage costs and if you wanted freezer baits, wouldn't have to worry about stuff going off (especially with postal strikes at the moment.) Go a good runs water with a new bait and get the rod bent a good few times and you won't have to worry about the bait, the rest is down to you.

That probably would have been a better option. Unfortunately having taken the boat, it seemed like a good idea to pile the bait in on 3 tight spots. The weather was pretty mild but the lake low and clear and I should have shown a bit of restraint. Especially as the bloke opposite was depth charging his side of the swim with a spomb! (which wasn't too far from mine.)

Not a catch report as such but a blank report! 24 hours on a fairly well stocked water and only 3 skimmers to my name. I only saw 2 shows in all that time. I was fishing towards one of the islands but because the water level was down at least 2 foot lower than I've ever seen it before, I was fishing a good 20 foot short to make sure I had at least enough water to cover the fishes backs. On reflection, I put too much bait in (I was using the bait boat) and I should have fished the middle of the lake where the water is slightly deeper. I've got another 24 hours booked in at the end of the month and will take that on board and fish differently. The boat will probably stay in the bag (in the car because you can park next to your swim) and I'll just stick out a few freebies. Blanking is OK as long as you learn from your mistakes, slavishly repeating them just extends the blanking period.

Quite a lot apparently!

When my youngest son was at Uni, he went veg

After absorbing the latest Truss budget and the wooing of rich bankers with unlimited bonuses, I'm concerned. Don't worry, I haven't turned into a Corbynite! She was elected by only about 200,000 Conservative Party members and I would fully agree that it's not democracy in it's true form. Especially as she came 3rd in the MP's voting until Penny Mourdant withdrew. Boris was a populist (sorry Elmo but he did have a certain charm and his bumbling persona was part of his appeal) but unfortunately he wore it out and his Party turned against him. I suspect a lot of Tory MP's might be like turkey's in regretting voting for an early Christmas!

In the summer, Carp love to sunbathe and can be clearly visible. As the water starts to cool, they are more likely to be found closer to the bottom. I've seen this with chub in the UK and it amazes me how many can pack into a weed-bed or overhanging bush until you entice them out with loose feed.

Pre-order now! Publication date 5th November, 2022 The Italian's Job Six years have gone by since Matt, Rambo and Sylvester uncovered the truth concerning the BMC and with Rambo's son now fast approaching his sixteenth birthday, a special present is required to mark the occasion. The unlikely source who comes up with the answer to where Sylvester's treat will take place is none other than, Pup, the ex-boiliemeister. The four reunite in Italy and all goes well until an unfortunate event leaves our four friends with little option other than to resolve it. As Pup's dodgy business arrangements are laid bare, Matt, Rambo and Sylvester finally realise who they're dealing with - and it's their most dangerous adversary yet. £14.95 + £2.95 P&P Just ordered my copy. I started rereading all the books about a month ago and hope to finish them before it arrives. I had the Site bookmarked for about 2 years before I finally took the plunge and ordered the whole of the first set and the the Black Mirror Cult as I was finishing them. They are as good (if not better!) than other people say.

https://www.geoffanderson.com/keep-warm-a-guide-to-dress-correct-3-layer-principle/ Had a look at the Site Kev recommended. The top range stuff might need a lottery win but the link explains the layering system well. I used to barbel fish on the Lower Severn in the winter quite a few years ago and it often required a long walk to get to the river. When the Severn floods, it literally can be a mile wide. It used to take me 15 minutes to yomp across the fields with a pack on my back, rod quiver and bait bucket. Even if it was cold, when I got out of the car I would strip down to my base layer and goretex jacket. When I got to the swims, I would be pretty warm from the exertion but once I cooled down, I would put on my jumper and then later on if the temperature started to plummet, put on a fleece. Once packed up, I would strip back down again for the long walk back to the car.

I like winter fishing as the banks are a lot quieter but they are for a good reason! If you read some of the match reports, a competent field of anglers regularly struggle and often they are won with ounces of fish using 1lb bottoms, size 20 hooks and maggots. Fishing is supposed to an enjoyment, not an endurance test. Fish a local runs water with a PVA bag or stringer. Do either an early morning or evening session although in the depths of winter we only get about 8 hours of daylight anyway. I probably wouldn't do an all nighter as the returns wouldn't justify it. Clean your tackle, tie some rigs, read a good book or even talk to the missus! Watch the weather forecast, they are pretty good these days even up to 14 days in advance. Look for that window when a South Westerly blows in with some heavy rain and plan to get out a few days after it has kicked in.

No one wanted a war in Ukraine. (Although I do remember Elmo saying that it was Boris that had caused it?) What is the end point? Do we turn our backs on Ukraine and let Russia take over? (He got away with it in Crimea and though that he would again.) If he succeeds in taking Ukraine, what does he do next? History teaches us that ruthless dictators are never satisfied and he will probably be eying up one of the Baltic States next. And the next and the next until he's just over the English Channel. It's OK to be a pacifist until a tyrant is breathing down your neck. What would Jeremy do to achieve peace? How much would he give away? Would Putin be satisfied?

Because he was an absolute disaster and practically gifted the Tories the biggest majority for many years. This was the bloke who invited the IRA to Parliament when they were still bombing us. The bloke who is so blinded by the Palestinian cause that he is anti semitic. The bloke who only days ago was lecturing us that supplying weapons to Ukraine is prolonging the war and we would should be looking for peace. But at what cost! I remember the day he was elected and a bloke who I worked with was pleased as he had voted for him. I shook his hand and congratulated on electing Britain's most electable man! I think that a lot of Labour voters had the sudden realisation that they had made a huge mistake. If Andy Burnham would have got the top job, Labour could have won the last election.

Here's my quick thoughts on winter fishing. Layer up. A good base layer (preferably long enough to go well past your waist.) Wear a belt. I've seen enough builder's cleavages in my time and also it exposes your skin to the elements every time you bend down. For my goretex over trousers, I bought a set of braces from Woolworths and they also stop the aforementioned condition. My winter suit has salopettes i.e trousers that already have loop over clips that go over the shoulder and the higher cut doubly protects your core. Wear a hat. Actually I wear 2 in really cold conditions. One's a tighter fitting woolen hat and the 2nd a larger tea cozy style and nobody knows I'm doing it!. Who says you only to wear one? Gloves are essential. Most woolen or nylon style gloves when wet will make your hands feel colder. Divers use neoprene and wet suits work by trapping a layer of water and your body heats that up and you stay warm. https://www.prologicfishing.com/products/clothing/gloves/neoprene-grip-glove I've used a similar pair (prologic) and the fold able finger and thumbs mean you don't have to take them off to rebait or tie knots. A scarf or neck gaiter to seal your neck area to stop heat escaping. Like you mentioned, a good pair of moon boots because your feet will be in contact with the ground and the cold will travel up.

Unfortunately I can remember when Labour was in power and it wasn't quite the Utopian Society that you dream of Elmo. Whenever the Tories do anything bad, I just look across to the other side and wonder what they would have done! In comrade Corbyn's case, it would still be discussing if a Covid vaccine was worthwhile!